Christ going into the Desert to prepare himself before his manifestation, ouercometh the
tentations of the Diuel. 24. then beginning gloriously in Galilee. 16. he sheweth to them of
Nazareth his commission out of Esay the Prophet. 23. insinuating by occasion the Iewes his
countriemens reprobation. 31. In Capharnaum his doctrine is admired, 33. specially for his miracle
in the Synagogue. 38. from which going to Peters house, he sheweth there much more power. 42. Then
retiring into the wildernesse, he preacheth afterward to the other cities of Galilee.
1.
*
Mat. 4,1.
Mark 1,12.
AND Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ ful of the Holy Ghost, returned from Iordan, & was driuen in the
spirit into the desert.
2.
✟
The Churches fast of 40. dayes (called Lent) commeth of this, and is an
Apostolical Tradition. Clem. Constit. Apost. li. 5 c. 13. Hier. ep. ad
Marcel. adu erro. Montan. Leo ser. 6 et 9 de Quadrages.
fourtie daies, and was tempted of the Diuel. And he did eate nothing in those
daies; and when they were ended, he was an hungred.
3. And the Diuel said to him: If thou be the Sonne of God, say to this stone that
it be made bread.
4. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ made answer vnto him: It is written,
*
Deuter. 8,3.
That not in bread
alone shal man liue, but in euery word of God.
5. And the Diuel brought him into an high mountaine, and shewed him al the
Kingdoms of the whole world in a moment of time;
6. and he said to him: To thee wil I giue this whole power, and the glorie of them;
for to me they are deliuered, and to whom I wil, I doe giue them.
7. Thou therfore if thou wilt adore before me, they shal al be thine.
8. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answering said to him: It is written,
✟
See the Annot. in S. Matthew c. 4,11.
*
Deu. 6,13. 10,20.
Thou shalt adore the
Lord thy God & him only shalt thou
✟
λατρούσεις.
serue.
9. And he brought him into Hierusalem, & set him vpon the pinnacle of the Temple; and
he said to him: If thou be the Sonne of God, cast thy self from hence downward.
10. For
✟
If the Diuel himself alleage Scripture against Christ, no maruel that
Heretikes doe so against Christs Church.
it is written, that
*
Psa. 90,11.
He hath giuen his Angels charge of thee, that they
preserue thee:
11. and that in their hands they shal beare thee vp, lest perhaps thou knock thy
foote against a stone.
12. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ answering said to him: It is said,
*
Deu. 6,16.
Thou shalt not tempt the
Lord thy God.
13. And al the tentation being ended, the Diuel
Departed vntil a time.
The Diuels tentations.
No maruel if the Diuel be often or alwayes busie with Christian men, seeing after he
was plainely ouercome by Christ, yet did he not giue him ouer altogether, but for a
time.
departed from him vntil a time.
14.
*
Mat. 4,12.
Mark 1,14.
⋮
The third part: of Christes manifesting himself by preaching and miracles,
specially in Galilee.
And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ returned in the force of the spirit into Galilee, and the same
went forth through the whole countrie of him.
15. And he taught in their Synagogues, and was magnified of al.
16.
*
Mat. 13,54.
Mark 6,1.
Iohn 4,43.
And he came to Nazareth where he was brought vp: and he entred
✟
Our Sauiour vsed to preach in their Synagogues.
according to his
custom on the Sabboth day into the Synagogue; and he rose vp to read.
17. And the booke of Esay the Prophet was deliuered vnto him. And as he vnfolded the
booke, he found the place where it was written:
18.
*
Isai. 61,1.
The Spirit of the Lord vpon me, for which he anointed me, to euangelize
vnto the poore he sent me, to heale the contrite of hart,
19. to preach to the captiues remission, and sight to the blind, to dimisse the
bruised vnto the remission, to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord, and the day of retribution.
20. And when he had folded the booke, he rendred it to the minister, and sate downe. And
the eyes of al in the Synagogue were bent vpon him.
21. And he began to say vnto them: That this day is fulfilled this scripture in your
eares.
22. And al gaue testimonie to him; and they
✟
He had a maruelous grace, and an extraordinarie force in mouing the
harts of his hearers.
marueled in the words of grace that
proceeded from his mouth, and they said: Is nit this Iosephs sonne?
23. And he said to them: Certes you wil say to me this similitude, Physicion, cure
thy self: as great things as we haue heard
Done in Capharnaum.
Miracles at one place and not at another.
God maketh choise of persons and places where he worketh miracles or doeth
benefits, though he might doe the same elswhere, if it liked his wisedom. So
doth he in doing miracles by Saints, not in al places, nor towards al persons,
but as it pleaseth him. Aug. ep. 137.
done in Capharnaum, doe also here in thy countrie.
24.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon munday in the 3. weeke of Lent.
And he said: Amen I say to you, that no Prophet is accepted in his owne countrie.
25. In truth I say to you,
*
3. King. 7,9.
there were many widowes in the daies of Elias in Israel,
when the Heauen was shut three yeares and six moneths, when there was a great famine made in the
whole earth:
26. And to none of them was Elias sent, but into Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman.
27.
*
4. King. 5,14.
And there were many lepers in Israel cnder Elisæus the Prophet; and none of them
was made cleane but Naaman the Syrian.
28. And al in the Synagogue were filled with anger, hearing these things.
29. And they rose, anc cast him out of the citie: and they brought him to the edge of
the hil, where vpon their citie was built, that they might throw him downe headlong.
30. But he
Passing through the middes of them.
Christs body conteined in place aboue nature.
Either by making himself inuisible, or also more wonderfully, penetrating the
multitude and passing through them, as he did through the doore, his body
either being without space of place, or with other bodies in one place. By al
which and the like doings mentioned in the Ghospel, it is euident that he can
alter and order his body as he list, aboue the natural conditions of a body.
passing through the middes of them, went his way.
31.
*
Mat. 4,13. 7,28.
Mark 1,21.
And he went down into Capharnaum a citie of Galilee; and there he taught them
on the Sabboths.
32. And they were astonished at his doctrine; because his talke was in power.
33. And in the Synagogue there was a man hauing an vncleane Diuel, and he cried out
with a loud voice.
34. Saying: Let be, what to vs and thee Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ of Nazareth? art thou come to
destroy vs? I know thee who thou art, the Sainct of God.
35. And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ rebuked him, saying: Hold thy peace, & goe out of him. And when
the Diuel had throwen him into the middes, he went out of him, and hurt him nothing.
36. And there came deare vpon al, and they talked togeather one with another, saying:
What word is this, that in power and vertue he commandeth the vncleane Spirits, and they goe out?
37. And the same of him was published into euery place of the countrie.
38.
⋮
The Ghospel vpon Thursday in the 3. weeke of Lent. And vpon Imber
Saturday in Whitsonweeke. And in time of mortalitie. See Mar. 8,22. in
margin.
And Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ rising vp out of the Synagogue, entred into Simons house.
*
Mat. 8,14.
Mark 1,30.
And
Simons wiues mother.
The Apostles left their wiues.
It is euident that Peter had a wife, but after his calling to be an Apostle, he
left her, as S. Hierom writeth in many places ep. 43 c. 2 ad Iulianum. Li. 1
adu. Iouin. See the Annot. Matth. 19,29.
Simons wiues mother was holden with a great feuer; and they besought him for her.
39. And standing ouer her, he commanded the feuer, and it left her. And incontinent
rising, she ministred to them.
40. And when the sunne was downe, al that had diseased of sundrie maladies, brought
them to him. But he imposing hands vpon euery one, cured them.
41. And Diuels went out from many, crying and saying: That thou art the Sonne of God.
And rebuking them he suffred them not to speake, that they knew he was Christ.
42. And when it was day, going forth he went into a desert place; & the multitudes
sought him, and came euen vnto him; and they held him that he should not depart from them.
43. To whom he said: That to other cities also must I euangelize the Kingdom of God;
because therfore I was sent.
44. And he was preaching in the Synagogues of Galilee.